How does climate change affect freshwater ecosystems?

In a recent Birmingham Brief article, Catherine Docherty, Professor Alexander Milner and Professor David Hannah consider the consequences of climate change on freshwater ecosystems in the Arctic, in the context of the many extreme weather events which have been recorded around the globe this winter.

'This winter many extreme weather events have been recorded around the globe. Temperatures broke records in February and 2016 is expected to become the hottest year on record. Although partly due to the El Niño phenomenon, anthropogenic climate change is also responsible and the Arctic isn’t exempt. NASA show January temperatures were up to 13.3°C above average in parts of the Arctic and for the second year running the maximum extent of Arctic sea ice this winter was at a record low. Sea ice regulates global temperature by reflecting sunlight back into space, so a decrease in sea ice will alter weather and climate over the Northern Hemisphere and potentially further afield. However, in our research we hope to uncover the impacts of such drastic changes on Arctic freshwater ecosystems.'...